Boxed In
by JackiLeigh
Summary: Tag to the episode, Boxed In, my version. No TIVA. Thanks 'prince-bishop.'


BOXED IN

**AN: I disliked the fact Ziva had a dinner party and never seemed at all apologetic when Tony seemed a little hurt about not being invited. When she told him, while they were in the crate, that she was sorry for not inviting him, I was not convinced. I have had this story written for a while. I didn't post it because I thought some of you might think I let Ziva off too easy. I actually read another fanfic, a long time ago, which posed this idea as an explanation, also. I thank that person for their contribution to my story. Sorry, I don't remember your name. But, at any rate, I hope you enjoy. Jackie**

Ziva offered to fix Tony dinner after they returned to the office. She had even said she would cook Italian which Tony had no doubt would be very good eating. But he was not interested in a 'pity dinner.' Besides, his 'scratch' was beginning to really hurt and the pain medicine had started to take effect.

"Thanks for the offer, Ziva." Tony said, standing up from his chair. "But maybe some other time, I am just really tired and the pain medicine is starting to take effect."

"Leave it to Tony…" McGee said mockingly. "…pain medicine for a 'scratch.'"

Nobody had bothered to inform Tim that that scratch took 10 stitches to close and very closely resembled a bullet wound.

Tony shot McGee a sideways 'hairy eyeball' just before he left the bullpen and hit the button for elevator. Tony just wanted to be alone. He walked out of the building and made it to his car without the others following him. He had left them all discussing the wonderful dinner they had had at Ziva's the night before. He didn't know what bothered him more. The fact that he had been excluded or the way they were all taking great joy at rubbing it in his face. Tony managed to get the car door opened. He took off the sling as soon as he was in the car and drove himself home without incident. He was putting the sling back on when he entered his apartment, his landline ringing.

Tony picked it up on the second ring. "DiNozzo."

"I was going to take you home." Abby said, sounding a little dejected.

"Well, as you can tell, I made it just fine." Tony stated.

"You are not supposed to drive like that. I know you had to take your arm out of the sling to shift." Abby chastised Tony.

"I wasn't interested in hanging around and hearing about the wonderful dinner party I wasn't invited to." Tony explained.

"You weren't invited!" Abby said, obviously shocked.

"No." Tony stated flatly. He realized he would have to take the sling off yet again to get ready for bed and he threw it on the couch and headed for the bathroom to begin his nightly ritual.

"Oh, Tony, I had no idea. I thought you had begged off for a date or something. I really had no idea you weren't invited." Abby explained, very upset.

Abby's admission made Tony feel better. He talked to her around brushing his teeth. "I didn't even find out until today, until we were in that crate that she had even had a party. She said she had invited Tim and Jimmy."

Abby nodded. "Tony, she SENT out invitations. We all, well, almost all, as it turns out, got one." Abby paused. "I'm sorry."

"So, it was on purpose." Tony sighed. He rinsed out his toothbrush and returned it to its holder. He then washed his face. He then left the bathroom and donned the pair of pale flannel pajama pants and faded Ohio State t-shirt that had served as his PJ's for the past few years.

"Tony?" Abby could hear the hurt in Tony's voice.

"It's OK, Abby." Tony said, sighing. "I'll see you in the morning. Thanks for telling me."

"I'm not sure now that that was such a good idea, Tony."

"It was Abby." Tony said, pulling back the covers and cutting off the light. "I needed to know. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, sweet prince." Abby said.

Tony smiled. He loved it when she called him that. "Goodnight, fair maiden."

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

"You are angry with me, yes?" Ziva asked Tony.

"This is not your problem, Ziva." Tony said sitting down at his desk resuming the work he had left before his trip to the men's room.

"You never change your shirt in the men's room." Ziva observed. "I was trying to figure out what was different when you came back out." Ziva said, now standing in front of Tony's desk. "That is it."

"And…?" Tony asked, wondering why she was making such a big deal about it.

"And you love the attention you get when you take off your shirt out here. Hoping the women in the next cubicle over are watching." Ziva stated. Seeing she was right, she put her hands on her hips.

"You're mad because I declined your dinner invitation." Tony stated. "I was not interesting in a 'pity dinner' then. I am not interested in a 'pity dinner' now."

Ziva looked at him, confused. "What is a pity dinner? I am not familiar with that terminology."

"That is when…" Tony said, looking Ziva square in the eyes. "…you fix a meal for someone because you feel bad that they have found out you left them out of something. But you don't feel at all bad about leaving them out."

"Why should I feel bad about that?" Ziva questioned. "I was in my home. I can invite whoever I want to my home."

"You shouldn't feel bad. That is why this is my problem, not yours." Tony reminded her.

"I do not understand." Ziva said before returning to her desk.

"You don't have too, Ziva. This doesn't concern you." Tony said, absently rubbing his shoulder. He had taken his medicine on the way in this morning and it had not had time to kick in yet.

McGee shook his head. "Stop milking your 'scratch,' Tony."

Tony had not realized he was even rubbing his shoulder. He immediately stopped.

Gibbs had been watching this whole exchange. He could tell Tony had been hurt by not being included in the dinner. He, himself, didn't know that Tony had not been invited. He thought Tony had declined the invitation. It bothered him Ziva didn't pick up on the real problem, but he had a greater problem at this point.

Gibbs went over to McGee's desk on the pretense of looking at a search Tim was doing on the computer screen. He bent down and whispered in Tim's ear. "Tim, that 'scratch' Tony has took 10 stitches to close."

Gibbs paused long enough to let that statement sink in. The smirk Tim had had on his face was immediately wiped off. Tim felt bad and Gibbs took a certain satisfaction in that. Gibbs wanted Tim to realize that Tony's injury could have been serious and that he really was in pain and not just 'playing it up.' Gibbs then went back to his desk and continued his work.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Tony and Ziva worked in silence for the next hours, but the tension was thick. Tony's arm was hurting, more than usual. He decided to get up and check his wound in the mirror in the bathroom. He was pulling his shirt off his shoulder when Ziva walked into the room.

"You have not been yourself lately." Ziva observed. She could see that Tony was having trouble getting the shirt off his shoulder, but she was not sure he would accept her help.

"My 'scratch' is bothering me." Tony explained. He finally got the shirt off his shoulder and he turned around with his back to the mirror to see the bandage. It looked clean and there was no drainage on it.

"I know it is more than a scratch. Scratches do not take 10 stitches to close." Ziva said as she watched him ease the shirt back up.

Tony buttoned up easily and stood there looking at Ziva's reflection on the mirror. "What do you want? I know you didn't come in here to watch me take my shirt off."

"You have not been yourself lately." Ziva restated.

"You already said that." Tony observed.

"It is true."

"Okay, Okay. I'll play along. I just want to know why. Why didn't you want me at your dinner? Why did you feel the need to drag it out the way you did and rub it in my face? Why would you let Abby believe I had declined an invitation I never got?" Tony could tell Ziva was surprised. "Abby said you actually SENT out invitations. I know I was deliberately excluded." Tony paused, when Ziva didn't say anything he continued. "Do you think I am so immature, so childish, I can't sit at a dinner table for 3 hours and not make an ass of myself? Do you think I don't know how to act around other grown-ups? What is it?" Tony said the pain evident on his face and in his voice.

"Tony…" Ziva started. She closed her mouth again. She was not sure what to say. It was partly what he had said about being immature and childish. But she knew if she said that, she was sure it would hurt his feelings.

"You don't have to say anything." Tony said, watching her reaction to his questions. "You have just told me all I need to know." Tony then took the time to wash his hands. He started to leave the bathroom.

"Tony." Ziva touched Tony's shoulder.

"DON'T touch me." Tony said, pulling away from her touch like it hurt. "I had no idea you had such a low opinion of me."

"I'm having another party next month…" Ziva started.

"No!" Tony stated. "I want to be invited somewhere because I am ACTUALLY wanted and because people will enjoy my company." Tony paused. "If you had wanted me there, you would have invited me the first time. You didn't."

"I want you at this party." Ziva explained.

"I won't be there." Tony said simply. He had stopped just inside the door of the restroom. "I won't get burned twice."

"What…?" Ziva asked, stunned.

"Your opinion of me is not going to change in a month. I know that. You know that." Tony said, leaving the restroom and heading back to the bullpen. "I won't be there."

"Tony…" Ziva started.

"You don't know me very well yet, and I don't know you. That's OK. We haven't worked together that long. I had just hoped you would have reserved judgment."

"That is not fair, Tony."

"This has nothing to do with fair. This is about MY FEELINGS about being excluded from your dinner." Tony sighed. "I hope you have a nice party. Invite someone else you really want there in my place."

Ziva come up beside Tony and touched his arm at the elbow. Tony moved his arm away from her and continued on to his desk.

Tony said as he sat down at his desk and logged on to his computer. He picked up right where he had left off typing the end of the report Gibbs had wanted by the end of the day. Ziva took her seat also.

Ziva did not understand why Tony was acting this way. It was so childish. Surely he had been excluded from things other members of the team had done before and had not gotten so upset about it. Ziva still seemed to be day-dreaming about the answer to that question when Gibbs caught her attention. He mouthed the word 'elevator' to Ziva, so as not to alert Tony. He held both hands up to indicate 10 minutes. He then went back to work.

Ziva nodded and turned back to her computer screen, very confused.

Ziva met Gibbs in the elevator. "Gibbs, I do not understand why we are here." She said as the doors closed and Gibbs turned the off switch.

"We're here because there is something you need to understand about Tony." Gibbs said, turning to Ziva and getting her full attention. "Tony consideres us…" He point to himself. …and now you..." He pointed to Ziva "…as his family. He had a horrible home life." Gibbs went on to explain. "His mother died when he was 8 years old. He was broken-hearted over it. It took him YEARS to get over it. His father was far too busy being a businessman to be a father. He left Tony in a hotel room once when he was 12 years old for two days to go off and conduct business. He didn't tell Tony he was leaving or how long he would be gone." Gibbs paused. "We are the ones he depends on to treat him like he matters, like he means something to somebody."

Ziva nodded. She was starting to understand a little of why Tony acted like to did. It WAS all an act, to protect himself because he had been so badly hurt. "Gibbs, I don't think I have ever heard you say so much at one time. And I do understand, but what can I do to make it up to him? I really like Tony. He is a good man. I did not mean to hurt his feelings."

Gibbs smiled. "With Tony it's pretty easy, fortunately, he LOVES sausage and pepperoni pizza with extra cheese. He likes Pabst beer. He loves the sesame chicken at The Chinese Plaza restaurant."

"That is it, food?" Ziva asked. It seemed too simple.

"That's it, Ziva. Tony is not a really complicated guy. He's not hard to please."

"Thank you." Ziva said smiling. She exited the elevator when Gibbs hit the switch to resume the elevator operation and the door opened.

"You tell him about this and there will be hell to pay." Gibbs warned as he and Ziva exited the elevator.

Ziva nodded, smiled and returned to her desk. She looked up at Tony who hadn't even seemed to notice her absence.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Tony heard a knock on his door and was surprised to see Ziva standing there, a brown bag in her hand.

"May I come in?" Ziva asked.

Tony sighed. "I suppose."

Ziva knew his next question and answered it immediately. "I got your address when I did your dossier for Ari. I remembered the street, but I got the apartment wrong. I think Mrs. Jackson will have many questions for you about your new girlfriend."

"You told her you were my girlfriend?" Tony sighed. He hated that the noisiest neighbor he had knew his business.

"No, she infirmed it." Ziva said, sitting the bag down on Tony's coffee table.

"It's inferred. And she does that a lot." Tony sighed and sat down. He invited Ziva to sit also. He really hated that the nosiest woman in the building would have new gossip about him.

"What did you bring me?" Tony asked, smiling like a little kid about to open a birthday present.

Ziva opened the bag and took out the Pabst beer without saying a word. Tony, could see that the beer was cold and he took at bottle and opened it, also without a word.

Tony took a swallow before he spoke. "Are you a beer drinker?"

"Not really." Ziva shook her head. "But I have acquired a taste since coming to the states." Ziva also took a bottle from the 6-pack. She popped the top and took a taste. "You have pretty good taste in beers."

"Thanks." Tony said, taking another swig. "You came all the way across town from your place to share a beer with me?" Tony asked.

"No," Ziva sat the bottle down on the table. "I am…."

Tony said, leaning back on the couch. "I should have known Gibbs met you in the elevator."

"You knew." Ziva asked. "Why is that a problem?"

"I had a hard enough time telling him all the sordid, embarrassing details. I just don't want it getting around."

"Tony, you are my partner." Ziva leaned forward and put her elbows on her knees. "There is a certain level of trust that comes with that. I need to be able to trust you completely. You need to be able to trust me. I would NEVER say anything to betray your trust." Ziva paused. "And I did not mean to do anything that would hurt you."

Tony opened his mouth to speak, but Ziva cut him off. "What you guessed, about the childish thing, I am ashamed to say, was true.

Tony flinched, but didn't say anything.

"But," Ziva continued. "…the main problem I have had and still have is I can't read you. Tony, that is what I do. I find out about people, what motivates, what drives them." She paused. "You were driving me crazy."

Tony couldn't help but smile at the fact he had confounded a Mossad officer.

"My main purpose of the dinner party was to find out about you." Ziva confessed. She picked up her beer, took a long swallow and then sat it back down. "Who would know you better than the team?"

Tony smiled broadly, but still didn't speak.

"What?" Ziva asked, staring at him.

"Well, what did you find out?" Tony asked, very amused.

"Abby, was highly offended. She told me if I wanted to know about you, I should ask you. She got up and left half way through dinner. McGee wouldn't talk. He told me basically the same thing. He told me too, to give you a little time. That the two of us didn't know each other well enough yet."

"Gibbs?"

Ziva sighed. "He was even more quiet than usual, if that is possible. He looked at me like he could head-slap me into the middle of next week." Ziva paused. "Is that the correct expression?"

Tony nodded, still smiling. "Yes, it is."

"You are enjoying this, very much, are you not?"

Tony moved his thumb and index finger of his right hand to within half an inch of each other. "Just a little." Tony said, showing her his fingers.

"Ducky took Gibbs' position. Jimmy would have told me just about anything, but he admitted he didn't know you that well."

"Yeah," Tony nodded. "He does have a little crush on you."

"Really." Ziva asked, surprised. She literally had no idea.

"That is what Ducky has been saying, pretty much since you joined NCIS." Tony paused. "So your party was a bust."

"I am not sure what 'bust' means but I got no information about you. But I think everyone, except Abby, enjoyed the food. I think she would have like it if she had stayed."

By this time, they both had finished their beers and had gotten another. "So, what do you want to know?" Tony asked, taking a long swig. He sat the bottle down and leaned back on the couch.

"That easy?" Ziva asked.

"Sure, I'm sure Gibbs told you I'm an easy guy to please." Tony paused. "Which did you order, the Chinese or the pizza?"

"Actually, I have not ordered anything yet. I had planned on leaving the choice up to you." Ziva said. "Or, we could have both."

Tony put his hand over his heart, pretending to swoon. "A woman after my own heart." He nodded at the suggestion of having both. Ziva pulled out her cell phone and ordered.

The meals arrived within minutes of each other and Tony and Ziva dug in.

"Did you mean what you said?" Ziva asked, wiping her mouth and leaning back in her chair.

"About what?" Tony asked, enjoying both his pizza and the Chinese food.

"I can ask you anything?"

"What do you want to know?" Tony repeated.

"First of all, I am sorry I hurt you." Ziva said.

"Ziva…." Tony started.

"I consider you my friend. And I treat my friends much better than I have treated you. And you were wrong, by the way."

"What was I wrong about?"

"My opinion of you has changed." Ziva finished her meal and put down her fork. "It did not take a month. It took a very poignant conversation with someone who cares a great deal about you." Ziva said speaking of Gibbs and their elevator conversation.

Tony smiled. "You still haven't asked me anything."

"Do you realize how much your 'work family' loves you? I mean really loves you." Ziva asked.

"I'm beginning to."

THE END


End file.
